Home » Land tenure policy and women’s off-farm employment in rural China

China passed the Rural Land Contracting Law in 2002 aiming to promote investment, diversification and productivity through securing the land rights of farmers. A team of local PEP researchers set out to explore the impact of this policy on farmers’ labor market outcomes in rural China. Recognizing the importance of women’s steadily increasing participation rates in off-farm employment, the team took a particular look at how changes in land tenure policy contribute to explaining this trend. Their analysis incdicates that improved land rights security leads to increased overall employment, increased off-farm employment, and increased invidual income for both men and women. The positive effects are more significant for women.
Find out more about the research methods, findings and policy recommendations in the following PEP publications: